Raw vegan feeds children uncooked fruit and veg because they're 'fruitarians'

This mum only eats and feeds her kids fruit and veg (Picture: Pam Johal/SWNS)

A mum says she’s raising her kids as fruitarians – surviving almost entirely on fruit and veg alone.

Pam Johal, 47, is a raw vegan – meaning she only eats uncooked fruit and vegetables and has done so for the last four years.

Before adopting her diet, she’d eat meat four times a week – until a health scare prompted a lifestyle overhaul.

The mum was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis at the beginning of 2020 – by August of that year, she claims her new diet had ‘reversed’ her symptoms.

Pam has cut out lots of her favourite foods, like cheesy pasta and bacon sandwiches, opting to live on mangos and avocado instead.

Now her children – Georgie, seven, and Henry, six – have adopted the diet because Pam says ‘a fruit smoothie a day keeps the doctor away’.

Pam loves fruit smoothies (Picture: Pam Johal/SWNS)

The kids never touch milk, eggs or processed meats but are occasionally allowed some vegan chocolate, ice cream and jelly.

Pam from Southampton, said: ‘I’ve lived on 90% fruit for four and a half years – I’ve never felt better.

‘I feel like I’m five years old. Even in my twenties, I didn’t feel as good as this.

‘My kids notice how I eat, I take them to vegan fairs and teach them the truth about food. They love the food I make and they never get sick.

‘My kids are always happy and thriving, they are always singing and dancing, they are much happier now they eat more raw vegan foods.’

What is a fruitarian diet and is it safe?

James Brown, associate professor in biology and biomedical science, Aston University, previously spoke to Metro.co.uk about the ‘fruitarian’ diet.

‘There is no definitive description of what a fruitarian diet should consist of, although one commonly cited ‘rule’ is that between 55% and 75% of the diet should comprise raw fruit. Beyond this, there is some variability; some fruitarians eat grains, some also eat nuts and oils.

Some fruitarians claim that ‘going raw’ has had marked benefits including curing cancer and eliminating bloating and body odour. There is no robust evidence to back up these claims.

The idea of consuming a fruit-only (or fruit-heavy) diet might appear a healthy option at first glance, but there are potentially many problems with this form of restrictive eating.

There are clear and significant physical health issues to consider when the human body is provided with a largely fruit-based diet. Following this eating pattern excludes essential food groups and nutrients that the body needs to maintain normal health.

While most fruit is considered to be healthy and nutritious, a diet that almost solely relies on fruits will be deficient in nutrients, including protein, iron, calcium, vitamin B (including vitamin B12) and D, zinc and omega-3 fatty acids.

Deficiency in these nutrients can have significant health implications including rickets and osteomalacia (a softening of the bones), anaemia and issues with bones, muscles and skin. Put simply, fruit does not contain all the nutrients the body needs.

In addition to what is missing in a fruitarian diet, the high levels of fructose have to be considered. Fructose is metabolised solely in the liver. Excess fructose consumption can cause fat buildup in the liver, leading to insulin resistance in the liver and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

Beyond the potential physical effects of fruitarianism, restrictive diets are also often associated with an eating disorder known as orthorexia nervosa, or an unhealthy obsession with eating ‘pure’ food only.

This means that what can start off as a healthy move towards eating more fruit and vegetables and less junk food can lead to an eating disorder, depression and anxiety.

When Pam diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis in February 2020, she struggled with a long list of symptoms, including feeling depressed, muscle stiffness, fatigue and swelling.

Pam said she suffered when she ‘tried to walk, get dressed and perform basic tasks’.

After visiting her GP, she was even told she may need to use a wheelchair permanently due to deformed joints.

She said: ‘I used to start my days off having a hot bath to help with the stiffness. Then I’d have to take naproxen in the morning.

‘Tasks like getting out of the bath, completing housework, picking up my kids and even opening bottles became painful.’

She says she feels better than she did in her 20s (Picture: Pam Johal/SWNS)

But after starting her new diet, the mum-of-two says she has been shocked by her dramatic improvement.

Now, four years into being a fruitarian, she she’s not only reversed the effects of arthritis, but she’s added years to her life too.

She claims she can even stay awake until the early hours, listening to music and dancing, pain-free.

‘I have a ton of energy, no aches or pains,’ she said. ‘I’m 47 – I have no grey hairs.

‘My family thinks I’m crazy, but in truth, dieting can make you feel incredible.

A typical day of eating for Pam and the kids

A typical day for Pam:

No breakfast, fasts until 11 am

Lunch: Salad, mangos, orange juice, watermelon juice and grapes

Dinner: Leek and potato soup, fruit

A typical day for the kids:

Breakfast: Fruit

Lunch: Fruit, vegan yoghurt, raisins, vegan jelly and healthy crisps

Snack: Smoothie or vegan KitKat

Dinner: Their choice, but usually soup

‘I also don’t go through my day thinking about protein. I don’t count calories either.’

The mum-of-two tries to raise her children as plant-based as possible too.

She gives both of her children smoothies that she claims ‘gives them all their daily vitamin needs in one drink’. Their smoothies can consist of bananas, dates, pine nuts, and mangos.

Pam’s children also follow her diet (Picture: Pam Johal/SWNS)

‘I can’t influence them completely,’ she admits, but Pam claims her kids’ plant-based diet has stopped them from needing the doctor for childhood illnesses like the flu.

She added: ‘I make sure everything is as free from rubbish as much as I can, becoming fruitarian has changed me in many ways.

‘I feel out of this world.’

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